David Jones, artist and poet (1895-1974) begins his PREFACE TO THE ANATHEMATA :

'I have made a heap of all that I could find.' (1) So wrote Nennius, or whoever composed the introductory matter to Historia Brittonum. He speaks of an 'inward wound' which was caused by the fear that certain things dear to him 'should be like smoke dissipated'. Further, he says, 'not trusting my own learning, which is none at all, but partly from writings and monuments of the ancient inhabitants of Britain, partly from the annals of the Romans and the chronicles of the sacred fathers, Isidore, Hieronymous, Prosper, Eusebius and from the histories of the Scots and Saxons although our enemies . . . I have lispingly put together this . . . about past transactions, that [this material] might not be trodden under foot'. (2)

(1) The actual words are coacervavi omne quod inveni, and occur in Prologue 2 to the Historia.
(2) Quoted from the translation of Prologue 1. See The Works of Gildas and Nennius, J.A.Giles, London 1841.


17 April 2011

IMMURED IN PACE

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Vale John Barbour

John Barbour_1987_Look of Love_sRGB.400

The Look of Love (1987)
both sides



1988_1st April_Thought for the day_THINK_John Barbour_sRGB.400

On the back of the above, John has written :
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

BARBOUR '88 (April 1st 1988)
The date in parentheses is in green biro, the rest in pencil. Perhaps the more precise date was added as an AFTER THOUGHT or to draw attention to this being an April Fool's prank writ large, this THINK thing.

Later, there's a big paint version. Here it is in the John Barbour survey Work For Now at the AEAF in 2010.



click here to read Ken Bolton's
Some thinking about John Barbour’s Work For Now
(Australian Experimental Art Foundation, Nov 11—Dec 12, 2010)



Vale John de Silentio

IMMURED IN PACE
JOHN DE SILENTIO

Exhibition at 200 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, May 1988.

click here to see and read John Barbour's accompanying text to this exhibition

John Barbour-John de Silentio_Gertrude St_street view
John Barbour-John de Silentio_Gertrude St_canvas in corner
John Barbour-John de Silentio_Gertrude St_dunce in corner detail

Here's another such from then.


Around this time your correspondent was in the Melbourne Eye and Ear Hospital, the result of a fly-fishing injury. A hook in the eye! John came to visit. In the bed opposite was a man who, in tragic circumstance, had lost an eye. Thus it came to pass, in the history of famous introductions - "Dr Livingstone I presume"/" I am a British object"/ "But after me will come one who is more powerful than I" and so on - I was able to enjoin :

"John de Silentio, I'd like you to meet John Voice.
John Voice, John de Silentio."


Vale Joao Solitaire

joao solitaire
email in reply: 29 January 2007
RE: Big Day Out (Hepburn Springs)


Amen, dear Poeter.

JB_JOY_MHA

love, Joao



REQUIESCAT IN PACE